Monthly Archives: January 2019

Kumbh Mela: Millions of Indians take holy dip

Millions of people have taken to the waters at the confluence of India’s sacred Ganges and Yamuna rivers as part of the Kumbh Mela festival – humanity’s largest gathering. Millions of people have taken to the waters at the confluence of India’s sacred Ganges and Yamuna rivers as part of the Kumbh Mela festival – humanity’s largest gathering. Officials told… Read more »

Taliban talks: Pakistan arrest ‘sends militants message’

Pakistan has detained a senior Afghan Taliban member in an attempt to put pressure on the militants amid talks with the US, sources in the group say. Hafez Mohibullah, religious affairs minister when the Taliban ran Afghanistan before 2001, was held in Peshawar, the sources told the BBC. The US has repeatedly called on Pakistan to end “safe havens” for… Read more »

A massive labour strike has shut down schools and public transport in parts of India

For two days, millions of workers are going on a strike against the Narendra Modi government in India. Up to 10 central trade unions, comprising around 150 million employees of banks, public transport units, factories, and government companies, are protesting what they describe as the “anti-labour” policies of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. Their complaints include a painful… Read more »

Nation-wide general strike begins, normal life affected in Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Life was disrupted in Kerala Tuesday during the 48-hour general strike called by trade unions and in Karnataka, the protest evoked mixed response while by and large it was business as usual in the three other southern states. No untoward incidents have been reported from any of the southern states, according to officials. The two-day nationwide strike was called… Read more »

Police in India charge Jawaharlal Nehru University student leader, nine others, in sedition case

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Indian police on Monday charged 10 people, including a prominent former student organizer, with sedition, in a case that activists say is really about freedom of speech. Kanhaiya Kumar, a former head of the students’ union at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, was arrested in 2016 at a rally to commemorate the anniversary of the execution… Read more »

Trade union members attempt to block trains at Madurai Railway Junction, detained

MADURAI: Tension prevailed at Madurai Railway Junction on Wednesday morning as members of various trade unions attempted to block train movement to put forth their 12-point charter of demands. A large number of police personnel deployed at the entrance of the railway station prevented the trade unionists from entering the premises. According to police, an estimated 700 members from various… Read more »

Analysis on “Taliban kills dozens of afghan forces as peace efforts continue”

In western and northern Afghanistan there have been a series of Taliban attacks on the country’s security forces and police officers. The taliban has been over running police outposts and killing handfuls of officers at a time. According to reports from President Ashraf Ghani about 28,589 afghan troops have been killed in fighting since 2015. The Taliban has taken full… Read more »

Analysis on “2 Indian Women Enter Sabarimala Temple, Setting Off Protests Near Hindu Shrine”

This is truly incredible. The fact that this is what had to happen for people to take notice is a bit incredulous but these women are really bringing attention to a new movement for all of India. Women fighting for equality is not a new phenomenon but these women have actually gotten through and taken a stand. First of all,… Read more »

Taliban kills dozens of Afghan forces as peace efforts continue

A series of Taliban attacks in western and northern Afghanistan has killed 21 members of the country’s security forces, Afghan officials say. Jamshed Shahabi, spokesperson for the governor in western Badghis province, said the fighters overran outposts there, killing six policemen on Wednesday. Council member Shamsul Haq Baeakzai in northern Baghlan province said seven members of the local police force were killed there on the… Read more »